North Korea denies it sank South’s navy ship

North Korea on Saturday denied that it sank a South Korean naval vessel near their disputed sea border late last month.

There has been growing speculation in the South that the ship had been hit by a North Korean torpedo, killing 46 sailors and raising fears it could trigger conflict on the divided peninsula.

The North’s KCNA news agency accused the conservative government in Seoul of trying to foist blame on its reclusive neighbor to boost sagging support ahead of local elections in the South in June.

“The puppet military warmongers, right-wing conservative politicians and the group of other traitors in South Korea are now foolishly seeking to link the accident with the north at any cost,” the North’s KCNA news agency quoted an unnamed military commentator as saying.